Freshman forward Grayson Downing scored the game-winner for the Wildcats

BOSTON - In the longest game ever played at Agganis Arena, the third-seeded Boston University men's ice hockey team fell, 3-2, in double overtime to sixth-seeded New Hampshire on Friday evening in the first game of the Hockey East quarterfinals at Agganis Arena.

Freshman Greyson Downing scored exactly two minutes into the second extra session to lift the visiting Wildcats to the victory, spoiling a career-best 47-save performance by senior goaltender Kieran Millan.

The Terriers (21-13-1) tied the game at 2-2 when senior Kevin Gilroy converted a breakaway with 3:10 left in the second period, but neither team was able to break the deadlock for over 45 minutes of play.

Junior Alex Chiasson opened the scoring at 14:39 of the first, but the Wildcats responded with a goals by sophomores Nick Sorkin and Kevin Goumas just 46 seconds apart before the end of the period to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Freshman Casey DeSmith made 34 saves to pick up in the win in goal for the Wildcats, who held a 50-36 shot advantage.

UNH (15-17-3) went 0-for-4 on the power play and the Terriers came up empty on their three chances with the man advantage.

BU took a 1-0 lead thanks to an initial rush, as senior Chris Connolly pushed the puck up to sophomore Matt Nieto, who played the puck off the left boards and snuck past a UNH defender before finding Chiasson streaking through the slot.

Sorkin roofed a rebound at 17:20 to make it a 1-1 contest and then set up Goumas' goal from just inside the blueline at 18:06 to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.

In the second, Gilroy blocked a pass at the right point and then hauled in a nice pass from freshman Alexx Privitera before entering the UNH zone all alone and beating DeSmith for the equalizer.

The overtime winner came when Downing forced a turnover behind the BU goal and snuck the puck past Millan to end the long series opener.

The game marked the Terriers' first double-overtime tilt since defeating Boston College, 6-5, in the Hockey East semifinals on March 14, 2003.

BU will look to extend the best-of-three series when the teams return to Agganis on Saturday (March 10) for a 4 p.m. game that will be broadcast live on NESN.